Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience
Religious orders take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. But did you know that the laity can live out these virtues in their own way? In fact, living out the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience can be a great way to grow in holiness.
The evangelical counsels are proposed by the Church as means by which we may avail ourselves to a conversation with the Risen Lord that... Read More

Blessed Are the Peacemakers
Presence of God – O Holy Spirit, help me to establish my heart in peace.
MEDITATION
A soul who has tasted God, under the influence of the gift of wisdom, looks at the world with the eyes of God, and therefore is able to judge all things “secundum rationes divinae” (St. Thomas IIa IIae, q.45, a.3, ad 3) by divine principles, according to supernatural motives, and not according to limited human reasoning.... Read More

“Blessed Are the Pure of Heart”
The perfection of all virtues and gifts of God is beatitude. In other words, the more perfect virtue and use of the gifts of God are, the more perfect is one’s happiness. And there is no greater happiness than to see God. That is why it is called the beatific vision and is the final grace that God gives those who are pure of heart: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God”... Read More

Chastity: A Hymn to God’s Providence
In a way, Dawn Eden’s newly released Catholic edition of her popular The Thrill of the Chaste is the third installment of the chronicle of her life journey. In 2005, when she wrote the first edition of The Thrill, she was a Jewish convert to Protestantism on her way to becoming a Catholic, and was hoping to be married. Dawn’s work applied balm to the sore spot in many a heart, which... Read More

Blessed Are the Clean of Heart
Presence of God – O Lord, purify my heart and my mind, that I may learn to know You better.
MEDITATION
The beatitude: “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8), corresponds to the gift of understanding. There is a purity of heart which is the indispensable condition for receiving an abundant inflowing of the gift of understanding; it is the purity that results,... Read More

Blessed are the Meek
Presence of God – O Holy Spirit, diffuse in my heart an increase of the spirit of piety and meekness.
MEDITATION
By the gift of fortitude the Holy Spirit strengthens our heart; by the gift of piety He makes it meek and gentle. When we practice the virtue of meekness, we are doing our part–as we should do at all costs–to acquire that meekness of heart which Jesus has so strongly recommended and which... Read More

Dan Burke and Melissa Elson reflect on the meditations of Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen regarding blind obedience. The post Reflecting on Blind Obedience appeared first on SpiritualDirection.com / Catholic Spiritual Direction.

Dan Burke and Melissa Elson speak with Dr. Holly Ordway about her contribution to the book "From Atheism to Catholicism" to find out what drew her to the Catholic Church. The post From Atheism to Catholicism appeared first on SpiritualDirection.com / Catholic Spiritual Direction.

Dan Burke and Melissa Elson reflect on the meditations of Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen and the meaning of true glory. The post The Meaning of True Glory appeared first on SpiritualDirection.com / Catholic Spiritual Direction.